Yarn feed and control mechanism



Oct. 31, 1961 M. B. PENMAN YARN FEED AND CONTROL MECHANISM 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 2, 1957 0 1 7 3 2, E a x 0 l 6 2 \2 B 2 z 2i. k w 4 I I K "a 2 .1 .w. 3 9m 2 3 2 I 3E E INVENTOR MONTGOMERY B. PENMAN BY ATTGRNEY Oct. 31, 1961 M. B. PENMAN 3,006,296

YARN FEED AND CONTROL MECHANISM Filed April 2, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR MONTGOMERY B. PENMAN ATTORNEY Oct. 31, 1961 M. B. PENMAN YARNFEED AND CONTROL MECHANISM Hi l.

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" Q- 2 k k N G N V N\ fi g INVENTOR uoymsm B. PENMAN IEWJU BY ATTORNEYited States Patent 3,006,296 YARN FEED AND CONTROL MECHANISM -MontgomeryB. Penman, Bloomsbnrg, Pa., assignor to This invention relates to a yarnfeed and control mechanism for multiple needle tufting machines.

It is an object of the invention to provide a yarn feed and controlmechanism which will uniformly supply a pre-determined length of yarn tothe needles of a tufting machine to form loops of uniform height inaccordance with a pattern.

A further object of the invention is to provide a yarn locking mechanismbetween the source of yarn supply and the needles of a tufting machinefor locking the yarns against movement towards or from the yarn supplyduring part of each cycle of operation of the machine.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a yarn controlmechanism for producing tufted carpets having loops of different heightswherein each height of loops are uniform thus improving the appearanceof the carpet.

Gther objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following specification.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification andwherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same,

FIGS. 1 and 1A schematically illustrate the yarn feed and controlmechanism.

FIG. 2 is a view of the needle bar of the tufting machine in itsuppermost position,

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the lock mechanism,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the lock mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the yarn clamp,

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 5, and,

FIG. 7 is a detail view of the plungers employed in the lock mechanism.

In the drawings, a schematic view of the yarn control and lock mechanismis shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A wherein a pair of yarn clamping members A andB are disposed in vertical spaced relation and intermediate the clampingmembers is a yarn feeding member C. Between the lower clamping member Band pattern control mechanism D is a yarn locking mechanism E. V Theyarns 5 from the creel tubes 6, above the clamping member A, are movedinto parallel relation extending transversely of the machine by opposedguide rods 7 and 8, one rod being disposed in a plane slightly above theplane of the other rod. The yarn clamp A consists of a bar 9 having inone of its vertical faces a series of parallel vertical slots or grooves1% adapted to receive the yarns 5, there being one slot for-each yarn.Brackets 11 project outwardly from the grooved face of the bar 9 a t itsends and rotatably mount a shaft 12 on which are mounted a series ofspring fingers 13, there being one finger for each of the grooves. Thefingers are of a width slightly less than the Width of the grooves'andextend downwardly from the shaft at an angle towards the grooved face ofthe bar 9. By rotating the shaft 12 the lower ends of the fingers aremoved into pressing engagement with the yarns in the grooves and preventupward movement of the yarns. The tension of the fingers on the yarnsmay be adjusted by rotating shaft 12 which is held in adjusted positionby set screws 14 mounted in brackets 11.

The yarns after passing through clamp A are trained around one side of aguide rod 15 and then over the opposite side of oscillating feed rod 16mounted in arms 17 extending from oscillating shaft 18 disposed on theside of the yarns opposite to that of feed rod 16. When the shaft 18 isoscillated to swing the feed rod 16 in the direction to pull on theyarns a pre-determined length of the yarns is drawn from the creel, notshown, below the clamp A. The clamp B Which is disposed below shaft 18is identical in construction to clamp A and serves to prevent any upwardpull on the yarns When the feed rod draws the yarns from the creel.

After the yarns leave clamp B they pass through vertical apertures 19 ina fixed plate 20 of the yarn lock mechanism E. The apertures of plate 20are arranged in staggered relation and in vertical alinement with thetubes of the pattern control mechanism D disclosed in applicants priorapplication Serial No. 574,745 filed March 29, 1956, now Patent No.2,971,722. The plate 29 is provided with a series of oppositelyextending transverse bores 21, the inner ends of which intersect thevertical apertures 19. Plungers 22 are slidably mounted in the bores 21having enlarged heads 23 at their outer ends beyond the edge of theplate 20. The inner ends of the plungers 22 have pins 24 connectedthereto by coil springs 25 which under compression project the pins tointersect the apertures 19 and grip the yarns holding them againstmovement. Coil springs 26 mounted on the plungers between their headsand the edge of plate 20 normally move the plungers outwardly to retractthe pins and release the yarns. The actuating means for the plungers 22includes bars 27 and 27' disposed in the same horizontal plane as plate20 and in parallel relation to the longitudinal edges of the plate. Theends of bars 27 and 27 are slidably mounted in U-shape cross bars 28fixedly mounted on the frame of the machine. The inner edges of bars 27and 27' are in contact with the heads 23 of plungers 22 and uponmovement of the bars towards each other the plungers are moved inwardlycompressing springs 25 and 26 to move the pins 24 into grippingengagement with the yarns and lock them against movement. A rectangularreciprocating frame 29, at each end of plate 20, straddles the plate andbars 27, 27. The frame 29 includes longitudinal side bars 30 and endmembers 31. One of the end members 31 is connected by a U-shape bracket32 to the bar 27 and the opposite end member mounts a roller 33 forengagement with the periphery of a cam Wheel 34 mounted on a rotatingshaft 35. A cross head 36 is slidably mounted on the side bars 30 offrame 29 and mounts a roller 37 for contacting engagement With theperiphery of cam wheel 34. A connecting rod 38 connects the cross headto the bar 27 and upon rotation of the cam wheel 34 the frame 29 andconnecting rod 38 are reciprocated in opposite directions tosimultaneously move the bars 27, 27 to actuate the plungers 22 to lockand release the yarns during each cycle of operation of the yarn feedingmechanism.

.is a jumper bar 43 supported above and to the rear of the needle bar byarms 43'. The jumper bar extends longitudinally of the needle bar and isprovided with a row of openings 46, one for each needle, through whichthe yarns extend. The yarns pass over guide rods 47 attached to oppositesides of the jumper bar. Adjacent to the jumper bar and between thejumper bar and guide bar 39 is an adjustable guide bar 49 which isadjustable vertically, as at St), and has a row of openings 48corresponding to the openings of the jumper bar through which the yarnsextend and on opposite sides of the bar 41) are guide rods 49 underwhich the yarns pass. The

guide bar 40 is disposed parallel to the path of movement of the jumperbar and when the latter moves upwardly it carries the yarns past thelower end of the guide bar and thus pulls the yarns from the source ofsupply.

7 In operation, the needle bar on the down stroke causes the needles topenetrate the fabric and carry the yarns through the fabric to formloops 44 on the underside of the fabric which loops are engaged by theusual looper arms 45 to hold the loops on the up stroke of the needlebar. When the needle bar is in its uppermost position, as shown in FIG.2, looper arms 44 are disengaged from the row of loops just formed, andyarn feed rod 16 is ready to pull a length of yarn from the supplycreel. The cam wheel 34 of locking mechanism E is in locking position tolock the yarns when feed rod 16 starts to move and pattern controlmechanism D is inoperative. As the needle bar starts on its downwardmovement it carries the supply of yarn provided by the previous cycleand feed rod starts to draw a length of yarn from the supply creel forthe next cycle. The lock mechanism continues to hold the yarns and whenthe needle bar about reaches the point of penetrating the fabric,pattern control mechanism is operated to selectively hold the yarns inaccordance with a pattern. The needle bar completes its downward stroketo form a row of loops of uniform height which are engaged and held bylooper arms 45. When the needle bar is at the bottom of its down strokefeed rod 16 has completed its forward motion and is ready to swingbackward; lock mechanism is open at this point allowing the yarns tomove freely through the apertures 19 of plate 20. As the needle barmoves upwardly jumper bar 43 draws yarn from the supply created by theoperation of feed rod 16 with the exception of those yarns held by thepattern control mechanism. Since the yarns held by the pattern controlmechanism cannot be drawn down the upward movement of the jumper bar 43will pull upwardly on the yarns being held by the pattern mechanismthereby robbing yarn from loops in the preceding row and thus reducingthe height of those loops. The pattern attachment holds the selectedyarns until just before the needle bar reaches the top of its upwardstroke so the yarns are released before the loops from which yarn isrobbed have not been completely pulled from the fabric. By varying thetiming of the release of the yarns the height of the loops may bevaried. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a multiple needle tufting machine having a yarn supply, a bank ofreciprocating needles operating to pass loops of yarn through a fabric,means for drawing a length of yarns from the yarn supply to provide asupply of slack yarns when the needles move to a loop forming position,a unidirectional clamp above and below said yarn drawing means forholding said yarns against movement in a direction towards said yarnsupplybut permitting free movement of the yarns in the oppositedirection, a pattern control mechanism between the needles and yarndrawing means for selectively holding the yarns against movement, a yarnlocking mechanism between the clamp below the yarn drawing means andsaid pattern mechanism operable independently of the pattern controlmechanism and yarn drawing means to simultaneously hold all the yarnsagainst movement when the needles move to a loop forming position andthe yarn drawing means is operated to draw a length of yarns from theyarn supply, and means operating with the needles for drawing a lengthof yarns from yarns drawn by said first drawing means not held by saidpattern mechanism when said locking mechanism is operated to release theyarns and the needles return to a starting position.

2. In a multiple needle tufting machine having a yarn supply, a bank ofreciprocating needles operating to pass loops of yarn through a fabric,means for drawing a length of yarns from the yarn supply to provide asupply of slack yarns when the needles move to a loop forming position,a pattern control mechanism between the needles and drawing means forselectively holding the yarns against movement, a plate disposed abovethe pattern control mechanism having longitudinal rows of spacedapertures extending vertically through the plate for passage of theyarns leading to the control mechanism, plungers on opposite sides ofthe rows of apertures slidab-ly mounted in passages formed in said plateand extending from said apertures through the longitudinal edges of saidplate with the outer ends of said plungers projecting beyond the edgesof said plate, reciprocating means engaged with the outer ends of saidplungers operable in unison to simultaneously move said plungersinwardly to clamp the yarns passing through the apertures between theinner ends of said plungers and wall of the apertures when said needlesmove to a loop forming position and said yarn drawing means is operatedto draw a length of yarns from the yarn supply, and means operating withthe needles for drawing a length of yarns from the supply of slack yarnsnot held by said pattern mechanism upon return of said needles to astarting position and release of said yarns by movement of saidplungers.

3. In a multiple needle tufting machine as described in claim 2 whereinsaid reciprocating means comprises a pair of bars extending parallel tothe edges of said plate for cont-acting engagement with the outer endsof said plungers, means mounting said bars for movement in unisontowards and from the edges of said plate to simultaneously move saidplungers into gripping engagement with the yarns pass through saidapertures, and means for reciprocating said bars.

4. In a multiple needle tufting machine as described in claim 2 whereinsaid plungers have yieldable pins at their inner ends for gripping theyarns.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,452,633 Barnett Apr. 24, 1923 1,863,049 Hermann June 14, 19321,917,411 Weis July 11, 1933 2,055,945 Reed Sept. 29, 1936 2,318,080Keen May 4, 1943 2,578,242 Hamby Dec. 11, 1951 2,652,017 Hohmann Sept.15, 1953 2,696,181 Lacey Dec. 7, 1954 2,782,741 Smith Feb. 26, 19572,782,905 Smith Feb. 26, 1957 2,784,689 MacCafiray Mar. 12, 19572,804,835 Janney et a1. Sept. 3, 1957 2,810,471 Shattuck Oct. 22, 19572,811,244 MacCaffray Oct. 29, 1957 2,842,079 Rice July 8, 1958 2,873,705Cobble et a1 Feb. 17, 1959 2,876,183 Parlin Mar. 3, 1959 2,884,881Oberholtzer May 5, 1959 2,940,405 Parlin June 14, 1960

